This invention relates to hardware assemblies for luggage and the like and is more particularly concerned with luggage hardware employing one or more pivoting latches controlled by a combination lock.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,505 to Gehrie, issued June 8, 1976, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, discloses a hardware assembly for a luggage case in which a single manual actuator and combination lock are effective to control the release of a pair of pivoting latches spring-biased toward open position. The latches control latching slide members, and are coupled to the actuator by a pair of elongated control rods having catch elements engageable with cooperating catch elements on the latches to hold the latches in a closed position. Turning the actuator forces the control rods apart, disengaging the catch elements and allowing the latches and the case to open. In this hardware, the mechanism that controls the latches depends upon butt relationships and has certain complexities and close tolerances that increase the expense of the luggage hardware.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 949,992, filed Oct. 10, 1978, and also assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, discloses a simpler hardware assembly in which a single combination lock controls a pair of pivoting latches which are springbiased toward open position. Separate manual actuators are provided for each latch, and each latch has a latch element attached thereto which directly engages a hasp on a cooperable part of the luggage case. Operation of the manual actuators allows the latches to open, disengaging the hasps and allowing the case to be opened.
Although hardware assemblies which employ pivoting latches, such as those described above, facilitate the opening and closing of luggage, their latching mechanisms may permit the inadvertent opening of the luggage case. For example, if the luggage case is dropped or jarred, one or both of the latches may pop open, allowing the case to open and subjecting the open latch to damage.